DHSC issue warning over antibiotic supply shortage

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a medicine supply notification for the combination antibiotic, co-trimoxazole.

They report that co-trimoxazole 40mg/200mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free will be out of stock from mid-March until June 2026, and co-trimoxazole 80mg/400mg/5ml oral suspension is out of stock, with the resupply date still to be confirmed.

Co-trimoxazole is a combination antibiotic comprised of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. It is typically used to treat various bacterial infections, including urinary tract infections, respiratory infections, and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia.

The DHSC state that co-trimoxazole 80mg/400mg and 160mg/800mg tablets remain available and can support increased demand. Furthermore, unlicensed supplies of co-trimoxazole oral suspension may be sourced, but lead times vary.

In relation to these unlicensed products, the specialist importers listed below have confirmed they can source unlicensed co-trimoxazole oral suspension. However, this list is not exhaustive and there may be other companies that can also source supplies.

• Alcatia Pharma
• Alium Medical
• Genetech Pharmaceuticals
• Mawdsleys
• Tanner Pharma
• Target Healthcare

Offering further guidance, the DHSC say that co-trimoxazole 40mg/200mg/5ml and 80mg/400mg/5ml preparations have been sourced, but to please confirm with importer if a particular formulation type is required, for example sugar free formulation.

If there is currently no listing on dm+d for the imported product for prescribers to select using their prescribing systems, an EPS prescription for the unlicensed product cannot be issued.

Where a prescriber wishes to prescribe a specially manufactured or imported product, an FP10 paper prescription should be issued as ‘Co-trimoxazole XXmg/XXXmg/5ml oral suspension (Special Order)’ and endorsed by the pharmacy as a non-Part VIII special with the following information:

• Amount dispensed over pack size used
• Invoice price per pack size from which the order was supplied less any discount or rebate
• Manufacturers’/importers’ MHRA licence number
• Batch number of the product supplied
• SP

A copy of this medicine supply notification, including supporting information, has been sent to all pharmacy NHS email addresses.